Tusculum Advances To Men’s Soccer Region Finals With 3-1 Win Over Francis Marion

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The top-seeded Tusculum College men's soccer team advanced to the championship match of the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Southeast Region Tournament with a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Francis Marion University on Friday night at Pioneer Field. Fifth-ranked Tusculum improves to 19-2-1 on the season, while the No. 21 Patriots conclude their campaign with a 14-5-3 mark.

The match remained scoreless until the late stages of the 27th minute when Tusculum's Bruno Conceicão and Scott Lucky combined to set up Telmo Dantes in the Francis Marion area, leaving the 5-10, 160-pound midfielder in perfect position to knock in his second goal of the season off the bar and give TC an early 1-0 lead.

Conceicão, this year's South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year, extended the advantage to 2-0 two minutes later, making a run into the box off a lofted lead pass from Lucas Paulini and tucking it into the lower left hand corner of the net for his 23rd goal of the season.

With the Pioneers holding a 2-0 advantage early in the second half, First Team All-SAC selection Anteneh Lemma found the back of the net for the 14th time this season in the 48th minute, accepting a cross from Conceicão and heading it into the far corner to put the black and orange in front 3-0. Francis Marion cut the lead to 3-1 midway through the 53rd minute on Julian Ramjohn's first goal of the season off a touch pass by Willie Hunt.

"We had an amazing season and we got off to a slow start, but we turned the season around. The result hurts tonight, but we played very hard. We were still pushing, pushing, pushing all the way to the end. It was very encouraging," said Francis Marion Head Coach Kevin Vardano.

The Patriots controlled much of the play in the second half, outshooting the Pioneers 12-7 in the second 45 minutes to end the match with a 15-14 advantage in attempts on goal. Ramjohn took a match-high five shots, while Conceicão led the Pioneers with four attempts on goal. SAC Tournament MVP Lance Moore tied a season-high with eight saves in the match, as Clark Richeson stopped four shots for the Patriots.

"This was a very good win. I was very impressed with Francis Marion. They have a great young team. I thought we did a good job in getting the third goal early (in the second half), and I thought that was key. They were everything I expected them they would be," said Tusculum Head Coach Brett Teach.

Conceicão, the 2008 Daktronics NCAA II Southeast Region Player of the Year, moved into a tie for the team-lead with two assists in the match and 12 on the season. Lucky and Paulini each added an assist in the contest.

"There is a ton of respect between us. We play each other all the time. We know their players and they know ours. We know how good a goal scorer Lee Squires is. They know how good Bruno (Conceicão) is. It's going to come down to whose other players contribute the most," said Teach about Sunday's rematch with No. 13 Lees-McRae College.

The Pioneers now advance to the NCAA II Southeast Regional Final on Sunday at 2 p.m. when they will square off against second-seeded Lees-McRae (17-2-3) at Pioneer Field.

Soccer Game Summary (Final)
2008 Tusculum College Men's Soccer
#21 Francis Marion vs #5 Tusculum (Nov 14, 2008 at Greeneville, Tenn.)
Francis Marion (14-5-3) vs. Tusculum (19-2-1)
Date: Nov 14, 2008 Attendance: 260
Weather: Clear and cool

Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
Francis Marion...... 0 1 - 1
Tusculum............ 2 1 - 3

SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 26:49 TCM Telmo Dantes (2) (Bruno Conceicao;Scott Lucky) - Through ball by Lucky, cross to Dantes, driven shot in off the bar
2. 28:48 TCM Bruno Conceicao (23) (Lucas Paulini) - Lofted lead over Conceicao's shoulder, brief run, inside near post
3. 47:38 TCM Anteneh Lemma (14) (Bruno Conceicao) - Run down the right flank, cross to Lemma, headed in far corner
4. 52:53 FMU Ramjohn, Julian (1) (Hunt, Willie) - Corner knocked around, slid under keeper

Shots: Francis Marion 15, Tusculum 14
Saves: Francis Marion 5 (Richeson, Clark 4; TEAM 1), Tusculum 8 (Lance Moore 8)
NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Southeast Regional Semifinal